MINDEF warns of new fake bulk order scams involving forged documents

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has issued a fresh warning after detecting three new cases involving fraudulent bulk orders. These cases were reported on the evening of 23 September, 2025. According to MINDEF, the perpetrators used forged procurement documents to impersonate the ministry or the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The announcement was made via MINDEF’s official Facebook page, where a screenshot of one of the fabricated orders — spanning three pages — was also shared. “We urge the public and all businesses to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police,” the ministry stated in its post. These latest incidents differ from earlier cases, where scammers made contact via phone calls rather than using forged paperwork. In recent months, a series of scams have targeted local businesses across Singapore. Scammers posed as SAF personnel to place large food and product orders, which were later found to be hoaxes. Victims included a bakery, a florist, and a hawker stall, the latter of which prepared 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani before discovering the order was fake. As of 19 September, six individuals had been arrested in connection with scams involving the impersonation of SAF staff. A 22-year-old woman has been formally charged in court. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects were allegedly acting under the direction of a scam syndicate. In a similar but unrelated scam, three businesses — including a fruit vendor and a bedding company — were recently approached by scammers claiming to represent Singapore Chinese Girls' School. The authorities continue to investigate the scams and have urged anyone approached with unusual or urgent procurement requests to verify the source before proceeding.